Patterns of Friendship: Structure, Psychological Well-Being and Social and Emotional Loneliness
Abstract
The study aimed to analyze the patterns of friendship groups among Argentinian young adults in terms of structure, homogeneity and certain social and individual characteristics, and its relation with psychological well-being and social and emotional loneliness. The research is quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental and cross-sectional with a múltiple holistic case design. The sample comprises 6 friendship groups of young adults (5 female and 1 male) with a mean age of 24.73 (SD = 2.44, Min = 20, Max = 30). The results show structural differences between groups around the figure of authority position or hub, and an average tendency towards homogeneity that implies differences between the groups related to the number of members. Psychological well-being show high levels and loneliness low levels; while both variables are associate with group characteristics such as homogeneity and the number of members. The group organization forms are differentiate by social and individual characteristics such as marital status, family occupation, residence and social class. Positive feelings are associate with membership and not with positional differences.
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